Having a camera can open a world of opportunities.
The advancement of modern technology today has given anyone with a camera, or any other accessory with that feature, a reasonable excuse for being a photographer. With print no longer being the only medium to publish photos, one does not have to do much to have his or her images seen all over the world. As a result, persons who intend to make a lucrative career in photography have to produce an image that is either controversial or contains a rare perspective to hit the magazine covers and headlines in order to receive a return on their investment. Although there is nothing entirely wrong with this concept, the photography industry has become, over the years, more of a money-making machine than a self-educational tool.
This can be seen as an insult to pioneers of photography such as the great Ansel Adams who spent most of his career developing a unique light metering system to aid his photography. This system was used with his black & white film cameras which enabled him to produce famous photographs such as “Moonrise, New Mexico” (1941) and “Rose and Driftwood,San Francisco,California” (1932).Adams’ work allowed him to develop a great understanding of the outdoors and led him to get involved in wildlife conservation efforts. His approach to photography was to thoroughly educate himself about his subject while making a considerable effort to protect it.
Today, anyone with an inexpensive digital camera and an automatic setting can produce images that are comparable toAdams’. However, the main difference is thatAdams’ work changed him as an individual before it changed others.
The world of photography should be thought of as a library and a camera as a library card. The camera gains access to a large pool of resources in so many places that, if used correctly, can make its user very wealthy – not in terms of dollars but in knowledge acquired. A photograph should be thought of as a book receipt that provides proof of the photographer’s access to and application of knowledge about his or her subject and setting. Each receipt that one acquires should progressively increase in value. Knowledge gained from a previous photo should be used as a steppingstone for the next one to be taken. This method gives the photographer a greater appreciation of his or her environment and also builds a closer relationship with his or her subject.
Finding the ideal subject, angle, lighting and time of day for an assignment depends solely on the photographer’s commitment to the task – doing research and obtaining the appropriate background information before going into the field. True photographers should think of themselves as the subject so that they can clearly and effectively portray the image to others. However, the only way this can be done is if all stereotypes and prejudices are left behind while beginning the task with an open mind. Photographers have to be willing for their photograph to change themselves before they change the world. As a result, the most notable photographers, to date, are those who have specialized in a certain discipline. For example, Ansel Adams in landscape photography and Steve McCurry in photo journalism. These photographers committed most of their lives to educating themselves to better understand their subjects, thereby giving more meaning to the photos they produced.
As the world continues to marvel at their work – and will continue to do so for years to come – it is evident that a great photographer is not one who depends solely on the technology and a little luck to make a fortune. Great photographers ultimately become conservationists, scientists, or activists for a certain cause. They are photographers who wield their photography to convey ideals in the most simplistic form of communication known to mankind.
Article by Arthur Ward (Anguillian student in Canada)
